5 tips to sell your house fast

How can sellers and buyers get a jump on the competition and sell the properties fast? Learn from Real estate expert Cindy Welu with RE/MAX Advantage Plus joined KARE 11 News @ 4 with her tips.

Here are 5 tips for sellers:

Before the season gets into full swing, you want to make sure you have these few things checked off your list. They'll not only help you attract the best buyers, but they'll also likely help you get your full asking price.

1. Get organized

Packing months before you plan to move may sound crazy, but it's smart to start getting organized now. There are two big benefits of getting organized early - first, it's much easier to make your home look more spacious when items are neatly boxed up. Second, it helps you find a place for items that can clutter the appearance of your home, like framed family photos, stacks of magazines or children's books. Sort through closets, attics and basements to decide what you'd like to keep and what to get rid of.

2. Get an inspection

Problems with a home, whether it is a small leak in the plumbing or old electrical wiring, can make or break a sale. It's smart to get a pre-listing home inspection. It gives you time to fix any problems that come up and avoid any surprises during the sale of your home.

3. Make minor improvements

While you may not have time to take on a major renovation project, small repairs and improvements, like fresh paint, new light fixtures or putting fresh grout in your bathroom shower, can really help boost the appearance of your home. You want everything to look fresh and neat. You'll be surprised how getting a few projects done can really improve the look of your home to prospective buyers.

4. Find a real estate agent

Picking the right agent can determine how quickly your home sells and the price you will get for it. Do they know your community? Do they use social media and other marketing tools? And buyers -- finding a good agent can help you get a leg up on your competition too, especially if he or she is an expert in the area where you're looking to buy. Plus, your agent can scope out each new possibility in your price range as soon as or possibly even before it goes on the market!

5. Get pre-approved

Knowing how much you can afford and being pre-approved for a specific loan amount allows you to make an immediate offer when you find a good home, condo, or townhome. Not only does this allow you to possibly beat out other potential buyers, it also shows the homeowner that you're serious about your offer.

Read More

House for sale in Indonesia -- with free wife

An advert for a house in Indonesia has gone viral online after the woman selling it offered to throw in an unusual extra feature for free -- her hand in marriage.

The Internet ad reads for the most part like a regular house listing, saying that the single-storey property has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a parking space and a fish pond.

But it also proposes to buyers a "rare offer" -- "when you buy this house, you can ask the owner to marry you", alongside a picture of Wina Lia, a 40-year-old widow and beauty salon owner, leaning against a car in front of the house.

The ad said that terms and conditions apply, and notes the offer is "for serious buyers and non-negotiable". The house in Sleman, on the island of Java, is on the market for 999 million rupiah (about $75,000).

News of the offer quickly spread among Internet users in social media-crazy Indonesia.

Boldies99, a user on popular online forum Kaskus, said Lia was "quite smart -- even though the house will be sold, she will remain the owner."

Lia told AFP she was "shocked at the reaction", as she had been overwhelmed by journalists coming to interview her, and even the police in the conservative, Muslim-majority country had been asking questions.

The police "came to verify the news as they consider it as an improper advertisement. But I explained to them that it was not my idea," she said.

The mother of two explained that she had asked a friend who was a property agent to help her find a buyer -- and in the process a husband -- but she had expected him to pass on the news to a limited number of people, not put an ad online.

"I told a friend of mine who also works as property agent that if there is a buyer who is a single man or a widower who wants to buy a house, and at the same time look for a wife, he can let me know as I'm also a widow," she said.

She added that there was only one potential buyer, who had visited on Wednesday, but refused to give further details.

Read More

10 Tips from 'Property Brothers' for Designing Your Home

Real estate twin brother duo Drew and Jonathan Scott, known to many as the hosts of the show “Property Brothers,” shared some tips on home design and renovation during their recent visit to Manila.

The two marked the Philippine launch of the home and lifestyle entertainment channel HGTV, which is home to “Property Brothers.” HGTV is now available on SkyCable and soon on Cignal Digital TV.

Drew is the real estate half of the duo, while Jonathan is an experienced contractor. In an interview with ABS-CBNnews.com and selected members of the media, the “Property Brothers” hosts said they hope to inspire Filipinos to design their homes in a way that reflects their personality while being comfortable and functional.

Here are Drew and Jonathan’s 10 design tips:

1. Consider your personality and interests.
• Jonathan: “It’s important that your home is a reflection of your personality. My home has inspirations from all of my travels. I hate it when I walk into a house and you can’t tell who lives there, or everything seems so generic and boring… The home should be a collection of a person’s interests.”
• Drew: “Have some sort of a theme to the space, but that doesn’t mean that everything has to look the same.”
2. Tie your space together with little details.
• Drew: “One of the easiest ways to tie the space together is flooring. I just did a house where we had this beautiful hardwood floor all the way to the kitchen and the bedrooms.”
• “I also used the same marble in the kitchen as I did in the bathroom, so there were certain key elements that were together. But the colors of the walls were different and the décor was different for each room.”
3. Have a focal point for each room.
• Jonathan: “The easiest way to make a focal point is to color a wall or place an artwork. It should be clear in the design. The way you place your seating in a space can also help draw your attention to wherever your focal point is.”
4. Home lighting is crucial.
• Jonathan: “Have an abundance of light. A dark room will feel smaller and less inviting. There are different types of light – there’s ambient light, there’s light on your cabinets and kitchen, there’s access lighting that can wash a wall without you having to paint it. Lighting is such a huge thing because it is cost-effective.”
• Drew: “If you’re thinking of changing the look of the room without having much money to work with, go for better lighting.”
5. The size of the furniture can make or break any room.
• Drew: “Make sure that you have appropriately sized furniture. Some families have small rooms with big couches and seating to look functional, but it looks terrible.”
6. Mix old and new pieces to add character to a room.
• Jonathan: “I like designing around conversation pieces. So maybe if you have a beautiful piece of furniture that has been passed down to your family, that’s a great piece to go around.”
• Drew: “You can have a modern design using technology to make your life easier and still have these rustic and traditional pieces. You don’t have to have your house looking stark white to make it feel modern. Always bring character that means something to you and your home.”
7. Want to freshen up a room? Rearrange the furniture.
• Drew: “If you redesign the space – just the layout, the furniture and the décor – it can feel like a brand new room even if you haven’t done any hard renovation. You don’t always have to rip things out to start fresh.”
• Jonathan: “Put in stuff that’s going to stand out, like pillows, artwork and curtains. Those things can easily infuse color.”
8. Know when to refurbish, replace and dispose home items.
• Drew: “It’s a matter of looking at your room and picking up a few key pieces – maybe one or two – and work them into a new design. If you have a really nice couch but the colors just don’t work with what you want to do, reupholster it. If you have a beautiful wooden table but you’d rather have a white or gray table for your design, then you can paint it out.”
• “We love to reuse cabinets in kitchens as much as we can. But if it doesn’t work out, we take them out and donate them… But some cabinets are adhered so hard like cement on the wall that you just have to tear them and get rid of them to start fresh. If you paint it and it’s still ugly, get rid of it.”
9. Don’t over-renovate.
• Jonathan: “You don’t want to go putting all your money into a part of your home. If something happens and you have to sell your home, you would want to still be able to get your money back… Be careful not to put in things that other buyers won’t pay for.”
• “If you’re looking to sell your home, we say it’s better to do a light makeover on everything instead of just spending all your money on one area. A light makeover on the whole place can make it feel fresh. Otherwise, your buyer walks in and says, ‘I love the kitchen but the rest of the house looks terrible.’ Then, they’re not going to give to you the amount you’re asking for.”
10. Plan carefully. When in doubt, consult an expert.
• Jonathan: “A lot of people don’t know what they’re doing, and some think they’re professionals. Always get references, cross-check and make sure that they actually have a legitimate business.”
• Drew: “One thing that people do wrong in the beginning is that they don’t take the time to educate themselves on the process or on the costs. People would jump in and start buying the couch they love, that kitchen countertop or cabinet. All of a sudden, they realize they’ve blown up their budget… Getting a professional is a good thing, or steal all the ideas you want from our shows.”

Read More